CLUSTER PROGRAM

Program 1

Eléonore Lèbre

UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND AND SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Bio:
Eléonore Lèbre joined CSRM in July 2014 as a PhD student. Her thesis was undertaken in the field of industrial ecology related to minerals and metals recycling. This research project focuses on the connections between the non-technical and technical aspects of complex materials and manufacturing recycling. It is part of the 3-year CSIRO Wealth from Waste Cluster project, which, in addition to CSRM at UQ, also includes the following collaborating institutions: University of Technology Sydney, Swinburne University, Monash University and Yale University.

Since 2012 Eléonore holds both a Master degree in Industrial Ecology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and a Master degree in Engineering from the French university Centrale Marseille, as part of the T.I.M.E. (Top Industrial Managers for Europe) double degree agreement. She then worked at Ecoscience Provence, an NGO applying industrial ecology principles to waste prevention projects in the south of France, working together with various public and private stakeholders.

Description of PhD:
The PhD will be undertaken in the field of industrial ecology related to minerals and metals sustainable production. This research project will focus on material flows and reservoirs within the mining sector in Australia. The aim of the research will be to elicit the key characteristics and pathways for maximising the uptake of valuable materials from ore, either by reprocessing mine waste or by preventing waste at earlier stages. This will be investigated in conjunction with the barriers, enablers and drivers related to environmental considerations, societal expectations and regulatory frameworks in Australia. The research will be conducted using an industrial ecology framework, which allows for the flows of materials and energy of industrial systems to be examined through a multi-disciplinary, system based discourse.

A first stage will be to quantify and characterize mine waste. Then the research will focus on evaluating how much of these lost valuable materials could be recovered by a recycling process. A third stage will investigate how future mine waste could be prevented by looking at the upstream processes that are generating mine waste and understanding the dynamics of the mining system.

“As a nation we are looking for our place beyond the mining boom, and the ultimate deliverable from the Cluster is to show the potential for the circular economy in Australia, and how we can seize that opportunity.” - Ass Prof. Damien Giurco (Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS).